Mesoamerica: The Maya

What was a major development of the Mayan civilization?

A number system that includes zero

Maya achievements in mathematics were closely related to what other area?

Astronomy

The Pre-Columbian Maya had an advanced understanding of which two fields of study?

Astronomy and Mathematics

To please the gods the Mayans would often offer sacrifices of humans and animals in religious ceremonies. Where were these ceremonies held?

At the temple on top of pyramids

Which natural materials were used by Maya traders for currency?

Cacao Bean

In which present-day country did the Maya civilization flourish?

Guatemala

Who did Mayan kings go to for advice or counseling?

Mayan Priests

Workers, servants, and slaves were part of which class?

The Lower Class

The Mayan homeland, which spans the five modern countries of Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, El Salvador, and Honduras, is called _______________.

Mesoamerica

Which members of Mayan society were born into their role and were small in number but very powerful?

Nobles

What were the two main reasons that led the Maya to develop their calendar system?

Religion and Agriculture

Which group of people belonged to the highest class of the Mayan social hierarchy?

Rulers, Nobles and Priests

Which of the following American civilizations is credited with the development of a calendar that was more accurate than calendars used by the Europeans up to the 1700's?

The Maya

What happened when the Spanish Conquistadors first came to the Yucatan Peninsula in an attempt to subdue the Mayans?

The Mayans fought valiantly against the Spanish invaders

Which best explains why Maya farmers harvested their crops and planted new ones in the late fall of each year?

They used knowledge that they learned from their astronomical observations

The Maya and the Inca were polytheistic. What does it mean for the Maya and the Inca to be polytheistic?

They believed in multiple gods

Why were Mayan rulers involved in religious ceremonies?

They served as intermediaries between people and gods

The Mayan mathematical system, along with the Indian, was one of the first to incorporate the concept of what?

Zero